The 2005 MINI Cooper is a fun, stylish car with plenty to like.

The new MINI Cooper, though nowhere near as “mini” as the original, is still a quirky, fun car with an attitude all its own. Its revival a few years back by BMW means the name on the dealership might not be familiar, but the cute little cars on the lot will be instantly recognizable. The Cooper is offered as either a hardtop hatchback or a convertible for the 2005 model year, both of which are available in a base or a sportier “S” trim. (In Canada, the separate John Cooper Works model with an even hotter engine is available dealer-installed but doesn’t join the line-up as factory equipment until 2006.)

Two engines are on offer: a 1.6-litre inline four-cylinder that produces power specs of 115 horsepower and 111 pound-feet of torque, and an upgraded supercharged 1.6-litre that produces 168 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque. The base engine is available with a five-speed manual transmission or with a continuously variable transmission (CVT; not available on the convertible). The hotter four-cyl power plant is available with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic transmission. All models have a front-wheel drive (FWD) drivetrain.

The 2005 Cooper’s trims are broken down by body style and powertrain. The coupe hatchback is offered as the MINI Cooper Classic, MINI Cooper, or MINI Cooper S. On the convertible, just the latter two trims are offered. The MINI targets new-car buyers who want a fun, quirky car. The MINI Cooper competes against the Fiat 500, the Volkswagen Beetle, the Volkswagen Golf, and the Ford Fiesta. Buyers may also consider the Toyota Corolla, the Mazda Mazda3, the Honda Civic, or the Nissan Sentra.